Post by : uadmin
14-May-2019
For any home that contains a fireplace and chimney, chimney sweeps and cleaning services are a must. Valuable for keeping an important area clear of debris and allowing proper air flow, among other things, chimney sweep services are simple and affordable.
At Creative Masonry & Chimney, we’re proud to offer high-quality chimney sweep services to all our clients. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t pay their fireplace and chimney the attention these areas should get, and don’t allow for proper chimney cleaning – in turn lowering their efficiency, upping their heating bills and potentially harming the environment as well. With this in mind, here are several telltale signs that it’s time for your chimney to be swept and cleaned out.
Have you begun to notice that starting fires is tougher than it used to be? Or perhaps you can start fires, but it’s becoming very difficult to maintain them for more than a few minutes at a time.
In many of these cases, the issue is with air flow – and starts at the chimney. Fire can’t burn properly without the right amounts of oxygen, and if your chimney is clogged, this oxygen might be blocked from getting in. Call our pros to see whether a simple sweep might clear your issue up.
Anytime you’re inspecting the fireplace or chimney, look for signs of greasy soot, or creosote. This substance develops over months or even years in some fireplaces, and can be both aesthetically displeasing and dangerous – it can lead to internal chimney fires that threaten the home, and also emits unsafe chemicals.
If you burn a wood fire and have begun to notice the smoke runoff staying inside your home, this is often another telltale sign of a chimney blockage. These can be created by leaves and branches, grease buildups, animals or various other materials.
Fireplaces should emit a warm, homely odor – if this suddenly changes to a foul one, though, there’s a good chance your chimney shaft is the cause of the issue. This will stop the updraft system from removing odors, including carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful gasses. Again, though, chimney sweeps can address these issues.
The damper is the chimney piece that regulates air flow, and it’s often related to several of the issues we’ve listed here. If your chimney has a lever that you use to open or close the damper, and you notice it becoming tougher and tougher to move, rust or other issues may have developed that require attention.
Finally, are you hearing fluttering noises or scurrying in your chimney? This could be a sign that birds, rodents or other animals have found their way into the chimney, where they may nest or cause other issues that increase the risk of blockages and chimney fires. Chimney sweeps can help avoid these concerns, however.
For more on the signs that it’s time for a chimney cleaning in your home, or to learn about any of our fireplace or masonry contractor services, speak to the staff at Creative Masonry & Chimney today.
